Breadwinner

My wife is a nurse at a local hospital. Her specialty is “Catching Babies”. She told me last night (after getting home from her 14-hour shift) that a woman in her 20s was admitted to the Labor and Delivery Department with her 8th pregnancy; third time this woman was her patient in the last 3 years.

Reviewing her admission chart the patient had reported that her occupation was “Bread Winner.” She asked her to explain. The patient said that she can make babies and babies get money for the Family. It goes like this: Shortly after delivery (Paid for by The Oregon Health Plan) The grandma calls the Department of Child and Family Services and states that the unemployed daughter has a history of drug abuse and is not capable of caring for the child. The DCFS dispatches a case worker ($65,000 per year public employee) and agrees that the child will need to go to foster care.

The grandma then volunteers to be the foster parent, and thus receives a check for $1500 per month from the state of Oregon. She is already the care-giver and foster parent for the other 7-children. Total yearly income: $144,000 tax-free, not to mention free healthcare for her and all of the kids (Oregon Health Plan) plus The Oregon Trail Card (Food Stamps) and a Voucher for 250 free cell phone minutes per month. This does not even include WIC and other Federal, State and Charity welfare programs. The grandma has already secured HUD housing and is receiving money from The State of Oregon for household expenses and utilities.

In addition, the grandma is collecting $3,000 annually per child in “Earned Income Credit” on her tax return, even though her sole source of income is from the State and Federal Government. I will let you do the math, but you can figure that “The Family” is collecting more than a quarter million dollars per year in cash and assistance.

The grandma does however give back to “The System” by paying her sister $3,000 per month as a live-in Nanny!!!!

Indeed, grandma was correct in that her fertile daughter is the "breadwinner" for the family.

This is how the legislative bodies spend our tax dollars.

Is this a GREAT COUNTRY or what...

Don't forget to pay your taxes!!!

Buy my book!

Mundane Journeys through an Amazing World begins with Interstate 80. Not the most engaging topic, I know, but when you think about it, I-80 runs all the way across the North American continent linking San Francisco and New York. It's not just a ribbon of asphalt, it's a portal to far away, almost magical places.

My visits to major cities like Tokyo, London and Washington DC have been business affairs. I haven't rode a lot of roller coasters or ridden in open air buses, but I have visited with senators, bought yams from the back of a truck and barely escaped complete embarrassment when I was introduced to Matt Wiener in Vegas.

As I wrote the book I realized that over the years exotic, distant places have become more like the mundane places I've called home. But, as it turns out, there really aren't any mundane places, only mundane ways of looking at things.

If you have the cost of a latte and a Kindle, you can buy a copy at Amazon by clicking here.

Or buy it in print! Mundane Journeys Trade Paperback

Breadwinner (G)